Systems for harvesting energy (also known in the art as “energy scavenging systems”) from intermittent environmental energy sources are well known in the art. In a typical configuration, energy generated from a mechanical or thermal source is harvested, rectified, converted, regulated and then delivered to a load, which may include an electronic circuit. With respect to a mechanical source, low frequency vibrations, such as the mechanical vibrations or disturbances associated with moving parts provide an energy source, with the energy converted by a transducer (such as, for example, a piezoelectric or electromagnetic device) into electrical energy.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 showing a block diagram of a conventional energy harvesting system 100. A transducer 102 is configured to convert mechanical or thermal energy into electrical energy at output 104. A scavenging interface 106 is coupled to receive the electrical energy at output 104 and provide converted electrical energy at output 108. In an example implementation, the interface 106 may comprise a rectifier circuit for converting AC electrical energy from output 104 to DC electrical energy at output 108. The DC electrical energy from output 108 is provided to and stored by an energy storage element 110. The element 110 may, for example, comprise a battery device. In another implementation, the element 110 may comprise a capacitor. The DC energy made available at the energy storage element 110 is then converted by a DC-DC converter circuit 112 as a power supply for a load circuit 114.